Skills For Communicating In Veterinary Medicine

This is the first definitive textbook on veterinary communication, written specifically for students and veterinary professionals by a group of international experts. Communication is a core clinical skill, and is now taught as a compulsory part of most veterinary degree courses. Good communication is crucial to the veterinarian-client-patient relationship, to patient health and ultimately to the success of any veterinary business. The book covers all the key areas of communication including: the basic framework for the veterinary consultation; professional, ethical and legal aspects; communication with clients and colleagues; and coping with end-of-life and other difficult situations. It combines the most up-to-date research with a wealth of practical information, such as: Real-life case studies to help you apply your learning to real scenarios Simple step-by-step guidelines showing you how to deal with specific situations Examples of written resources you can use in practice This valuable textbook has been written and edited by a carefully chosen group of specialists, comprising veterinary communication lecturers, veterinary practitioners, training managers and counsellors.

Good communication skills provide better clinical outcomes and help avoid minor as well as major mistakes. Approximately 60-80% of negligence claims against vets are related to poor communication, with new graduates especially vulnerable. Communication skills are a growing part of the curriculum in veterinary schools, recognising how fundamental clear communication is to good practice. A Guide to Oral Communication in Veterinary Medicine covers why communication skills are important, the structure of typical communications and suggested approaches, veterinary specific communication pathways and sample scripts between vet and client. Scenarios covered include everyday communication, dealing with challenging situations, different species, different settings, and communication within the veterinary team. The aim is to instil confidence and competence, build professionalism and avoid problems. Most current teaching is based on a toolbox approach developed from the human medicine model. However, there is no set standard for teaching methodology which is why this is primarily a book for students but also includes a section for educators to provide guidance in this nascent subject. 5m Books

This issue of Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, guest edited by Drs. Christopher A. Adin and Kelly D. Farnsworth, will cover Effective Communication in Veterinary Medicine. This is one of six issues each year. This issue will provide insights on the most critical and contemporary issues facing veterinary practitioners—from compassion fatigue to the use of social media. The material can be applied by veterinarians both inside and outside the workplace. Articles in this issue include, but are not limited to: Generational Difference in the Team, Intercultural Communication with Clients, Valuing Diversity in the Team, Compassion Fatigue, Suicide Warning Signs and What to Do, Performance Evaluation for Underperforming Employees, Leading and Influencing Culture Change, Veterinary Clinical Ethics and Patient Care Dilemmas, The Mentor-Mentee Relationship, and Communicating Patient Quality and Safety in Your Hospital.

Communicating ideas in veterinary medicine is a fundamental part of continuing veterinary research and building a career as a clinician. The purpose of this book is to help increasing efficiency and effectiveness in writing professional documents, e.g. writing a concise yet thorough discharge statement to avoid repeated client call-backs to clarify medical recommendations. The book also aims at improving the reader’s confidence in writing skills through guided and well-thought out “homework” or practice exercises. Useful for both veterinary students and practising vets, Writing Skills for Veterinarians addresses how to develop and hone veterinary medical and scientific writing techniques. The basics of veterinary writing and why it matters are covered before concentrating on specific written models expected of vets – creating medical documents, client and colleague communications, report writing, journal articles and research papers and presentations. At the end of the book is a resource-bank of additional exercises relating to each type of document. 5m Books

Developing Communication Skills for Veterinary Practice Developing Communication Skills for Veterinary Practice provides a thorough grounding in practical communication principles for client and team interactions, and helps veterinarians and staff take their communication skills to the next level through self-development and coaching colleagues. The book describes specific evidence-based techniques, gives examples of their use, and demonstrates how to use each skill in the clinical setting, with learning activities to put into practice. It covers every mode of communication, including face-to-face, virtual, telephone, and written communication. Organized by the tasks of the clinical appointment, each chapter showcases specific communication skills. The book introduces a communication toolbox of 20 key communication skills, which can be applied to any area of veterinary practice or veterinary career path. The book: Defines each communication skill, demonstrates techniques, and provides examples Emphasizes the importance of communicating effectively with clients and colleagues Provides a process and structure for coaching communication with colleagues Discusses client and team interactions using many methods, including in-person meetings, telephone conversations, and emails Outlines best practices for effectively communicating using technology Developing Communication Skills for Veterinary Practice is an invaluable resource for veterinary professionals at any level seeking to develop their communication skills and improve clinical outcomes.

A practical guide to identifying risks in veterinary patients and tailoring their care accordingly Pet-specific care refers to a practice philosophy that seeks to proactively provide veterinary care to animals throughout their lives, aiming to keep pets healthy and treat them effectively when disease occurs. Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team offers a practical guide for putting the principles of pet-specific care into action. Using this approach, the veterinary team will identify risks to an individual animal, based on their particular circumstances, and respond to these risks with a program of prevention, early detection, and treatment to improve health outcomes in pets and the satisfaction of their owners. The book combines information on medicine and management, presenting specific guidelines for appropriate medical interventions and material on how to improve the financial health of a veterinary practice in the process. Comprehensive in scope, and with expert contributors from around the world, the book covers pet-specific care prospects, hereditary and non-hereditary considerations, customer service implications, hospital and hospital team roles, and practice management aspects of pet-specific care. It also reviews specific risk factors and explains how to use these factors to determine an action plan for veterinary care. This important book: Offers clinical guidance for accurately assessing risks for each patient Shows how to tailor veterinary care to address a patient’s specific risk factors Emphasizes prevention, early detection, and treatment Improves treatment outcomes and provides solutions to keep pets healthy and well Written for veterinarians, technicians and nurses, managers, and customer service representatives, Pet-Specific Care for the Veterinary Team offers a hands-on guide to taking a veterinary practice to the next level of care.